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RIO DE JANEIRO. — Argentina soccer legend Diego Maradona has insisted his compatriot Lionel Messi didn’t deserve to win the Golden Ball as the best Player of the 2014 World Cup.
Messi beat the likes of Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben and James Rodriguez to the prestigious award, but the 1986 World Cup champion feels the 27-year-old won it for commercial reasons.
“Messi? I would give him heaven if possible,” Maradona said during his show on Telesur.
“But it’s not right when someone wins something that he shouldn’t have won just because of some marketing plan.”
Maradona said Mario Gotze’s goal in extra-time “really hurt” and that the South Americans at least deserved penalties. The 2010 Argentina coach also hit out at Albiceleste coach, Alejandro Sabella, for taking off Ezequiel Lavezzi at half-time.
“I feel sorry for my country. Mario Gotze’s goal really hurt. There’s a huge sadness in my heart that we lost the final,” he added.
“All things put together, I think Argentina deserved at least penalties. That Germany won was the result of a misunderstanding in the Argentine defence.
“I don’t understand the substitution of Lavezzi.
“He was phenomenal down the wing. Kun Aguero didn’t have the same impact. It was not his tournament.”
Messi scored four goals in Brazil and assisted the extra-time winner in the last-16 against Switzerland, but failed to show his brilliance in the other knock-out stage games, including the World Cup final.
A frustrated Messi said he doesn’t care about winning the Golden Ball for being the best player during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Messi would have preferred to lift Argentina’s first World Cup trophy since 1990 instead of losing their third final and picking up the prestigious individual award.
“Right at this moment the award is not important to me. I don’t care,” he told reporters after the game.
“We had wanted to win the trophy and celebrate with everyone back home in Argentina.”
The 27-year-old insisted his side had the better chances during the final and believes they deserved to reach the penalty shoot-out.
“After the game we put in, we deserved a little more. It’s painful to end on the losing side after playing like we did because we were so close to the penalty shoot-out,” he added.
“It’s been a while since Argentina has got this far — we haven’t got past the quarter-finals in other editions.
“We’re upset at not being able to win the game, and there will be a lot of people giving us a hard time about it.
“Germany had control of the ball but we created the best chances. We were a little unlucky not to have put those chances away.
“We had three clear attempts: mine, El Pipa’s (Higuain) and Rodrigo’s (Palacio) but the ball didn’t go in. Now we have to look forward to the future”. — Soccernet.
Online Reporter